The mosaics of Ravenna are rated among the world's most important art works. Their quality and blaze of colour have intrigued believers and visitors since their making between the fifth and the seventh century. This book investigates the issue of the meaning of this imagery, its peculiarities, and the messages conveyed to the viewers through the centuries. It explores the function of the mosaics in the different buildings, and their interpretations in the relevant liturgical context by people living in late Antiquity. Several comparative examples integrate the mosaics in the frame of late Roman art. The volume thus provides valuable new insight in one of the most fascinating sets of images of early Christian times. The mosaics were last subject to extensive investigation over 40 years ago.--Publisher description.